About this time the Indispensable sailed on her fishing voyage.  This ship had been careened and completely repaired in the Cove.

From the experience of the masters of these whalers, there was every reason to believe, that ships resorting hither, properly fitted for the variable weather which they are liable to meet with upon the coast, would most certainly succeed.  The ships that had arrived, in general, were not prepared for the weather of this ocean, but were fitted for the more certain and serene skies of the coast of Peru; which occasioned their so frequently running into port to refit.  In this, such assistance as the colony could supply was always readily afforded them; and it might be worthy the attention of the houses of Messrs. Champion, Enderby, and others, owners of ships in the whale fishery, to establish a depot or warehouse at Sydney, well supplied with naval stores, where their business could be transacted by their own people, and their ships refitted with their own materials.

If try-pots were fixed at some convenient place near the entrance of the harbour, and many such offer, where their warehouse might also be established, the fishing ground not being far from the coast, might not a ship run in with the whale in blubber, leave it to be tried out, and in the mean while put to sea in quest of more?  If any time would be saved by this mode of proceeding, it surely would be worth adopting; but of this these gentlemen must be the better judges.

In the evening on the fourth of June, which had been observed as His Majesty’s birthday with every demonstration of loyalty and respect, the weather became very tempestuous, and continued for three days blowing a heavy gale from the southward, attended with a deluge of rain; by which several buildings belonging to Government, which had been erected with great labour, were much damaged; among others, was unfortunately the tower of the new mill at Sydney, of which the roof was fitting.  The south-side of this building was so much injured, that it became necessary to take the whole down; which was done, and the foundation laid a second time.

This gale having subsided, it returned about the middle of the month, blowing again from the southward with increased violence, and attended with another deluge of rain.  In its effects it was more destructive than the preceding, doing much damage to various public and private buildings.  The south side of the church tower was entirely destroyed, but the clock was saved.  The Government house at Parramatta, which was nearly finished, received some material injury, but was not wholly destroyed.  A man, in crossing a gully between Sydney and Parramatta, was, in attempting to ford it, carried away by the violence of the torrent, and drowned.  The cattle suffered much, and a few of the public as well as private stock perished.